Bowling alley



LSQE i 5 F. J. MILLER BOWLING ALLEY ea 2'?, i932.

Filed Sept. 20. ).930 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 F. J. MILLER BOWLING ALLEY Dec. 27, 1932.

Filed Sept. 20. 1950 F. J. MILLER BOWLING ALLEY Dea. 27, 1932.,

6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 20, 1.930

:Snvcntor F. J. MILLER BOWLING ALLEY Dec. 27, 1932.

JIIUCII F. J. MILLER BOWLING ALLEY Dec. 27, 1.932.

6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Sept. 20. 1930 Patented Dec.

FRANK J'. MILLER, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY BOWLING ALLEY Application led September 20, 1930. Serial No. 483,297.

setting the pins,

" clearing the alley returning the balls, and of fallen pins.

One of the objects of theinvention is to provide a novel bowling alley which may be wholly operated by the player of the game in a simple and eiicient manner from his bowling position without the assistance of the usual pin-boy.

Another object 1s to provide a bowling alley embodying novel mechanical means for setting up the pins and returning the balls,

which means are especially well adapted for coin control and operation by the player of the game.

A further object is to provide an amusement device of this character whereby any of the well known bowling games may be played under conditions closely simulating in all respects the game as played on the usual alley with manual pin-setting.

Still another object is tol provide a mechanically operated bowling alley wherein pins which are knocked down either by a ball or by another pin will be automatically relnoved from the' bowling surface ofthe alley and will not interfere with subsequent play a thereon.

A still further object is to provide a mechanical bowling alley embodying novel c oin controlled means for mechanically setting up the pins and returning the balls.

Another objecti s to provide a novel amusement device of this character wherein two or more alleys may be mechanically operated by a common coin controlled operating de;

VICE.

A further object is tQ provide al bowling alley embodying a novel mechanical means for propelling orv in any desired di uniform speed.

projecting a bowling ball rection at a substantially These and other objects will appear more in the accompanyi ng drawings, it is to be expressly understood that these drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not to be construed as a limitation of the scope of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figs. 1 and 1a, when joined along lines X-X, are a plan view of one embodiment of the present invention;

Figs. 2 and 2, when joined along lines 60 Y-Y, are a side elevation of the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 1*;

Figs. 3 and 3a, when joined along lines Z-Z, are a perspective view of the invention with certain parts omitted for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the cooperation between the working elements;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation similar to Fig.

3 but with certain parts shown in section, and with the gun cocked and the coin conti'olled actuating mechanism at the limit of its forward movement;

Fig. 5 is a sectional View taken on line 5 5 of F1g.2;

Y Fig. 6 is a sectional View taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 2a, but with the pin-setting mechanism at the limit of its upward movement;

Fig. 8 is a sectional View taken on line 80 8-8 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 9 is a detail sectional elevation of a portion of the pin-,setting means in set-up position;

Fig. 10 is a View similar to Fig.\9, but illus- 85 trating the automatic removal of a pin from the alley; and

Figs. 11 and 12 are detail views showing the construction and operation of the ball delivery latch and loading means.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference-characters indicate like parts throughout theseveral views, there is disclosed therein a novel form of bowling alley embodying coin controlled means for mechanically setting up the pins andreturning the balls, and means for automatically clearing the alley of fallen pins, which alley may be constructed either asa full si`z'e alley for bowling in the usual manner, or as a miniature alley adapted for operation as a mechanical amusement device. vAs shown, three alleys have been made as a unit with a common coin controlled device for setting up the pins and 5 returning the balls on all three alleys, and separate mechanica-l means for projecting the balls along' the alleysy in the direction of the pins. The device as disclosed is especially well adapted for enclosure within a suitable l0 case and for operation as a coin controlled game of the type frequently found in amusement parks, hotels, clubs, and other similar ublic places. Although shown in this miniature form, it will be readily understood that the invention is equally applicable to a full size bowling alley, either with or without the mechanical ball projecting device.

As shownjin Figs. 1 and 1n, which figures when joined along the line X-X form a plan view of the present embodiment of the invention, a plurality of alleys are constructed side by side each having an alley board 15, side gutters 16, a ball pit 17, and a back board 18. At the liront or bowling end of each ot' the alleys there is provided a ball projecting device or gun, indicated generally at 19, while at the rear or pit end of each alley suitable means are provided for mechanically setting up the pins on alley board 15 and for delivering the balls 21 to a return runway 22 which returns them to the front end of the alley adjacent gun 19. rl`he pin-setting and ball return means are adapted to be mechanically operated from the liront end ot the alley by the player of the game, and for -this purpose suitable coin controlled means are provided between two of the guns 19 whereby Ithe simple manual operation of pulling out an operating shalt 23 by means of its knob 2l will simultaneously reset the pins and return the balls for all ot the alleys which are thus constructed as a unit.

Referring now in detail to the pin-setting dll and ball return means, shown best in Figs.y

1, 2a, 3a, 7, 9 and 10, each alley board 15 is provided with a plurality of vertical cylindrical openings 25 adjacent its after end, said openings being properly located and spaced in the configuration usually employed for the A setting up of bowling pins. Within each opening 25 there is housed a downwardly eX tending guiding tube or sleeve 26, the lower end oi which projects beneath a reinforcing block 27 secured to the underside of alley board 15 and is threaded into one of a plurality or bosses 28 extending downwardly Jfrom and preferably formed integral with a base plate 29 which is secured to the underside o'f supporting block 27 in any suitable manner. Sleeve 26 is adapted to act as a guide within which pin 2O is housed when in unset position, and through whichit is adapt` ed to move when it is raised to its set-up position.

When pin 2O is in its unset or'knockeddit down position, as shown in Figs. 2a and 3, it is housed within sleeve 26 with its top on or ust below the level of alley board 15 and rests upon a circular exteriorly threaded base \plate 30 (see Fig. 9) which is threaded into the upper end of a cylindrical tube or pin supporting member 3l. The latter is adapted to slidably telescope within guide sleeve 26 when pin 20 is raised to set-up position and is provided atits lower end with an annular collar 32 adapted to abut the lower end of boss 28 and thus limit its upward travel. 1When in this unset position, the bottom of collar 32 rests upon the upper surface of a set-up plate 33 and is-r spotted, in order to align pin supporting member 31 with the axis of opening 25 and guide sleeve 26, by

means of a centering pin 34 extending through set-up plate 33 and having a conical head 35 on its upper end adapted to engage Y 'llo elevate pins 20 to their set-up positiom suitable means are provided for raising sete up plate 33 and thereby sliding pin supporting member 31 upward within guide' sleeve 26 until collar 32 abuts the lower end ot boss 28, at which time the upper surface of base plate 3() upon which pin 20 rests is Hush with the surface ot aley board 15. As best shown in Figs. 2a, 3lt and 7, set-up plate 33 is triangular in shape, conforming to the configuration of the set-up of pins 20, with its verter forward and its base parallel to back board 18. @ne end of the base oi set-up plate 33 is provided with a vertical, substantially cylindrical boss 38 extending above and below said plate and having a cylindrical bore which houses a vertical guide rod 39 threaded at its upper end into the rear portion oit base plate 29. rllhe other end of the base of setup plate 33 is provided with a lll-shaped guideway l() surrounding a second guide rod 39. The lower ends of guide rods 39 are maintained in proper spaced relationship by means of a rectangular spacing plate 41 through which the bottom ends of said guide rods extend to receive nuts 4:2.

'llhe lower end of boss 38 normally rests upon spacing plate l1 thus limiting the downward motion of setup plate 33 and consequently ot the remainder of the pin-setting mechanism, but is also provided with a horizontally projecting ear 13 to which the means for elevating the set-up plate is secured. In the form shown, a main operating or set-up cable or cord 44 runs rearward from the lll) ` aft direction. Extending upward from pulknocked over. As shown best in- Figs. 9

ley 45 main cable 44 terminates at and is secured to one end of a triangular plate 46. Secured to the other two vertices of plate 46 are two secondary cables or cords 47 and 48 which extend upwardly and outwardly away from said plate and pass over puleys 49 and 50, respectively, said pulleys being secured for rotation in a plane perpendicular to the fore-and-aftline of the alleys by any suitable means such as brackets 51 secured to base plates 29. Cord 47, vafter passing over pulley 49, extends vertically downward' and is secured at its lower end to projecting ear 43 of boss 38. In a unit of three alleys as herein disclosed, cord 48 passes over puV ley 50 and is secured to one corner of another triangular plate 52 which, with set-up plate 33 in its lowermost position, rests upon the upper surface of a pulley 53 maintainedin the same plane Awith pulleys 49 and 5() by To the other two corners of-I similar means. plate 52 are attached two more secondary cords 54 and 55, the former running verticallydownward and boing secured to projecting ear 43 of the second set-up plate 53, while the latter runs horizontally over another pulley 54 and thence downwardly to be secured to projecting ear 43 of the third set-up plate. Ii order to equalize thelevels of all setup plates operated by a common mam operating cord 44, and to compensate for differences instrctch in the secondary cords, each of cords 47, 54 and 55 is provided with a resilient link 56, such asa coil spring, adjacent the point of connection of said cord to its respective projecting ear 43.

It will thus be seen that when mam operating cord 44 is pulled forward by means later to be described, all of the set-up plates 33 which are connected in parallel to said main operating cord by means of .the secondary cords will be simultaneously raised, and will move the pins 20 upwardly through guiding sleeve 26, by means of pin supporting members 31, to their set-up position on alley board 15.

Since, as will later be described, set-up plates 33 will sink of their own weight when thecycle of lifting operations has been completed, suitable means are provided for maintaining the pins in their set-up positions until knocked down by a ball or another pin. In the form shown, said means comprise a weight operated latch which maintains pin supporting member 31 in its upper or set-up position within guiding sleeve 26 as long as pin 20 remains upright. and spring means for releasing said latch when vpin 20 is and 10, a master latch 57 is pivotally mounted within and adjacent the lower end of pin supporting member 31 by means of a suitable shaft 58 which passes through said latch intermediate its ends and is journaled in pin supporting member 31.V The lower arm of master latch 57 is bifurcated and pivotally supports between its bifurcations, on a suitable shaft 59, a small latch 60. The small latch 60 is shaped substantially in the form of a T being pivoted on shaft 59 at one end of the top of the T, the other and lowermost end of the top of the T being adapted to yieldingly project through an opening 61 formed in the side of pin supporting member 31 under the action of a coil spring 62 whichn is housed in a small recess formed within the central portion of master latchv57 and which exerts its thrust against the leg 63 of the T-shaped latch 60. |Ihe upper arm of mas-V ter latch 57 is formed with a concave surface 64 on the same side that small latch 60 projects from, which surface is adapted to receive and be engaged by a weight 65 suspended within the interior of pin supporting member 31 from pin 2O by any suitable means. As shown, a suitable cord or cable 66 is secured to weight 65 and passes upwardly through a central opening 67 formed in base plate 30 being secured at its upper end to pin 20 by any suitable means such as an expansible keeper washer 68 "through which cord 66 passes and above which it is knotted, said member being driven upwardly within pin 20 from its base through a bore 69 and being housed in an' expanded, reamedout chamber 70.

The length of cord 66 is so proportioned that when pin 2() is upright upon base plate 30, weight 65 engages concave surface 64 of master latch 57 and holds the upper arm of said latch to the right, as viewed in Fig. 9, against the thrust of a spring 71 which is housed within a recess in the upper arm of master latch 57 and exerts its thrust against the inner surface of pin supporting member 31. In this position, the lower arm of master latch 57 is thrown tothe left, carrying with it shaft 59 and small latch 6() to a point where the latter tends to protrude be` yond the outer surface of pin supporting member 31. The parts just described occupy this position at the time when' the upward movement of setup plate 33 begins. When the set-up plate 33 reaches the limit of its upward movement, the bottom portion of pin supporting member 31, through the side of which small latch 60 projects, passes within boss 28 and the end of said small latch 60 engages the lower shoulder of an annular groove 72 formed within said boss between the bottom edge of pin supporting member 31 and an inwardly extending lip 73 which forms the bottom of said boss.,

As will be seenv from Fig. 10, whenpin 20 is knocked over, weight 65 is raised a suficient amount to clear concave surface 54: of master latch 57 and allows spring 71 to turn latch 57 about its pivot 58 a suicient amount to draw small latch 60 entirely within pin supporting member 31 thereby releasing the engagement of said latch with groove 72 and allowing the entire pin supporting assembly to fall of its own weight until c ollar 32 again rests on set-up plate 33 and pin 20 is fully withdrawn within guide sleeve 26, thus automatically clearing alley board 15 of dead wood. As is shown clearly in broken lines in Fig. 10, when pin supporting member 31 reaches vits lowermost position and again rests on set-up plate 33, centering pin 35 engages the lower end of master latch 57 and moves it about its pivot 58 in a clockwise direction so as to cause small latch 60 to again project outwardly of pin supporting memberv31 in position to engage groove or recess 72 when set-up plate 33 is next raised. rlhis actuation of master latch 57 also moves its upper end to a position wherein weight 65 may engage concave surface 64 and hold the latch assembly in operative position.

Suitable means are also incorporated with the above described pinsetting mechanism for returning the balls from the ball pit to the front end of the alley. As shown, a ball raising bracket 7a is secured by any suitable means such as screws to a attened *oft portion of boss 38 of the set-up plate 33. The upper end of ball raising bracket 74 is formed as an approximately hochshaped ball pocket 75, the bottom 76 of said pocket sloping downward in a forwardly and sideway direction (to the right as viewed in Fig. 3a) mak-` ing the forward-corner adjacent the vertical side 77 of the pocket its lowermost point. 'l he high edge of bottom 7 6 of pocket 75, opposite vertical side 77, is normally on a level with the lower end of an inclinedA floor board 78 forming the bottom of ball piti 17. Any balls reaching the ball pit would thus roll to the right, as viewed in Fig. 3, to the lower yend of ball pit 17 and thence into ball pocket where they would be retained in the low corner thereofbetween its vertical side 77 and a front retaining wall 79, the top edge of which is level with the lower end of floor board 78.

As set-up plate 33 is raised, it carries withv it ball raising bracket 711, ball pocket 75 holding whatever balls are top be returned to the front end of the alley. The dimensions of the apparatus are so proportioned that, when set-up plate 33 reaches the limit of its upward movement, the low corner of ball pocket 75 is on a level with return runway 22 and the balls 2l roll out of said pocket through a semi-circular opening 8O cut in wall 79 to conform to the curved trough of return runway 22. lt will be understood that return runway 22 is inclined downwardly from its rear end to its front end, asshown best in Figs. 2 and 2, and that the front end of said runway may be curved through substantially 90 degrees in order to deliver the balls at a convenient point for loading in gun 19. This end of the runway may also be provided with suitable means, laterto be described, for stopping the balls and for feeding them one at a time to the gun.

Referring now to the common operating meansfor actuating the in-setting and bal] return means of the al eys just described, there is provided, as shown in Figs. 1-6, inclusive, a suitable arrangement of' cooperat ing elements whereby the simple manual operation of pulling forward a main control shaft serves to automatically set into operation means for `raising the pins to set-up po sition, returning the balls to the front of the alleys, and resetting the apparatus for a subsequent operation. Although the present embodiment discloses the use of a coin control for locking and unlocking this mecha l nism, it will be understood that the coin control may be dispensed with if desired.

As shown, main operating shaft 23 is slidably and rotatably mounted, as by means of a pairof collars 81 and 82 fixed thereto by suitable screws, in a central passageway 83 which traverses the length of an irregularly shaped casting or frame member 84 secured as by screws 85 to the underside of a supporting block 86 which is suitably fastened to the underside of alley board 15. 'lihe front plate .87 of frame 84- is also adapted to be secured by any suitable means to a board or plate 88 forming the forward face of the alley or group of alleys.

At one side and near the top of front plate 87 of the frame 8d there is provided an opening 89 which is adapted to receive a coin for unlocking the mechanism. The coin passes through opening 89 and enters a coin chute 90 passin downwardly therein on a circular path to t e approximate horizontal center line of frame 84 at which point it drops into an opening or recess 91 formed'in a coin slide 92, the latter being slidably mounted within frame 84 for fore-and-aft movement in a horizontal plane. @pening 91 is made in the form of a recess cut in one of the side faces of coin slide 92 and is of a width equal to the diameter of the coin which it is desired should be used to operate the machine. At the bottom of coin receiving recess 91 a beveled shoulder 93 reduces the size of said recess and thereby prevents a coin vof the proper size from passing on through and dropping out of coin slide 92. This same construction, however, allows a coin smaller than the proper size to pass on through coin slide 92 and to enter a coin return chute 94 whereby it is delivered lto a coin return cup 95 se lll) - to prevent its forward movement.

cured to the outside of front plate 87 by any suitable means.

lin order to prevent possible plugging of return coin chute 94` an opening 96 is provided in a side cover plate 97 secured to frame 84 below the level of coin receiving recess 91 to allow added undersized coins or slugs to drop out of the coin return chute and into a coin collection box 98 which is secured by any suitable means to side cover plate 97 and which serves to collect coins of the proper size in a manner later to be described.

rlthe rear end of coin slide 92 is bifurcated, as shown in Fig. 3, and between said bifurcations there is pivotally mounted the front end of the long arm of an l.shaped jack link 99, on the short arm of said link being also bifurcated to pivotally mount the froit end of a straight jack link 100. The rear end of jack link 100 is Ain turn pivotally mounted in the bifurcated portion ofya lug 101 which projects sideways through frame 84 from a loose collar 102 freely mounted on operating shaft 23 between fixed collars 81 and 82. 1t will lthus be seen that when operating shaft 23 is pulled forward or outward from the face of front plate 87, loose collar 102 moves forward with said shaft due to its position between Xed collars 81 and 82, and through jack links 100 and 99 moves coin slide 92 forward. rllhis action, as will now be described, unlocks the mechanical pin-setting and ball return means. By making collar 102 loose upon operating shaft 23, said shaft may be freely rotated without damage to the mechamsm.

Suitable means are now provided whereby the forward motion of coin slide 92 and a com carried thereby in recess 91 will unlock the mechanical pin-setting and ball return means so that continued outward movement of operating shaft 23 will set up thegame in posltion for play. As shown, a coin lifted unlocking lever 103 is pivotally supported on a transverse horizontal shaft 104 journaled in a yoke 105 projecting from the side of frame 84 opposite to that in which coin slide 92 is housed. Unlocking lever 103 has a horizontal arm 106 which extends transversely through frame 84 and which terminates in a downwardly extending lifting finger 107 located in thel same plane with coin slide 92 and normally resting in front of said slide finger 107 is so shaped and beveled, however, that when a coin of the proper size falls into recess 91 of coin slide 92 and ,said coin slide is drawn forward by operating shaft 23, the coin causes finger 107 to be lifted and thus swings unlocking lever 103 about its pivot on shaft 104. Unlocking lever 103 is also provided with a vertical arm 108 which is bifurcatcd at its lower end and there pivotallyv attached to a tripping member 109. The upward movement of linger 107 and the resulting rotation of unlocking lever 103 about shaft 104 moves the lower end of vertical -arm 108 forward and thereby sets the mechanism in operative position through the medium of tripping member 109 in a manner later to be described.

The forward movement of coin slide 92 is, as compared to the movement of operating shaft 23, comparatively limited, and when said slide has moved its full distance and has completely unlocked and placed in operative position the mechanism for setting the pins and returning the balls, jack links 99 and 100 commence their folding action so as to allow continued movement of operating shaft 23 in a forward direct-ion independently of coin slide 92 so as to complete the setting-up process. At this time, when coin slide 92 has reached the forward limit of its travel, the coin in recess 91 is opposite a suitable coin discharge opening in side plate 97 and, since the bottom of lifting finger 107 is beveled in a transverse direction as well as in a fore-andaft line. the coin is pushed sideways out of recess 91 and falls through the discharge opening in side plate 97 into coin box 98.

Returning now to the action of tripping member 109 in unlocking the set-up mechanism and placing it in operative position, said member comprises a lower horizontal arm 110, an upper horizontal arm 111, and an obliquely vertical tie arm 112 joining the forward extremities of said upper and lower arms to form an integral member. rlripping member 109 is pivotally secured to vertical arm 108 of unlocking lever 103 adjacent the junction of lower horizontal arm 110 and tie arm 112. Lower horizontal arm 110 is provided with a forward tripping contact 113 and rear tripping contact 114', while upper horizontal arm 111 is provided with two similar contacts 115 and 116. Each of these tripping contacts comprises a screw which is threaded into a small boss projecting downwardly from one or the other of the horizontal arms, thereby making said contacts adjustable.

In a horizontal plane lying intermediate the planes of upper and lower horizontal arms 110 and 111, there is slidably mounted within frame 84 for movement in a fore-andaft direction a rack plate 117 provided on its upper surface with a rack 118 which is adapted to be engaged by an elongated ratchet tooth 119 forming a part of a ratchet lever 120 which is pivotally mounted in frame 84 just above rack 118. Ratchet tooth 119 and the teeth of rack 118 are so shaped as to allow movement of the rack 118 forward but to prevent its backward movement when the tooth is in engagement with the rack.

In the normal at rest position of the mechanism, ratchet tooth 119 is out of engagement with rack 118 and the upper arm 121 of ratchet lever 120 rests against tripping contact 116 of tripping member 109. It is thus evident that when tripping member 109 is moved lJ'Eorward by unlocking lever 103, tripping contact 116 forces up er arm 121 oi" ratchet lever 120 forward an throws ratchet tooth 119 downward into engagement with rack 118. Disengagement of ratchet tooth 119 and rack 118 may be eli'ected either by contact when tripping member 109 is moved backward to its original position, or by forward vmovement of a tie rod 122 which is secured to ratchet lever 120 just below its pivot point. rlie rod 122 receives this lorward movement automatically during the setting-up process from means later to be described.

Rack plate 117 is also provided with a bottom operating lever 123 which is pivoted to the underside o1 said rack plate adjacent its rear end and is provided with a forward vertical arm 124, the upper end of which is bifurcated to form a yoke 125, anda rear vertical arm 126 having at its lower end a horizontal transversely projecting finger 127. In its normal at rest position, operating lever 123y l drops of its own weight so as to rest in a bail 128 sus ended from the underside of rack plate 117, in which position projecting finger 127 rests lightly against tripping contact 114 of tripping member 109 and yoke 125 lies below the lane of the rack late. When tripping mem er 109 is moved orward, however,

under the action of unlocking lever 103, c'ontact 114 moves projecting iinger127 forward, thus swinging operating lever 123 about its pivot and raising yoke until it surrounds operatin shaft 23 and lies directly in the path of xed collar 82 as the latter 1s drawn forward by said operating sha-ft. Resilient means may be provided for yieldingly maintaining operating lever 123 in whichever of its two positions it occupies, comprising in the form shown, a tension spring 129 secured at one end to frame 84 and at the other end to operating lever 123. These two points of connection are so chosen that, when said lever passes from one oft its positions to the other, a line joining the extremities of the spring will pass from one side to the other of the pivot point ot said lever.

From a consideration ot the mechanism just described, it will be seen that when un-Y- locking lever 193 is actuated by the forward movement o1 coin slide 92, tripping member 109 throws ratchet tooth 119 into engagement with raclr 113 and at the same time raises operating lever 123 to its upper position with yohe 125 in the path-ol lined collar 82. lt is then evident that any further outward movement or" operating shat't 23 will be transmitted to raclr plate 117 through yoke 125, ratchet tooth 119 and raclr 118 coo erating to allow such forward movement o said rack plate but being so shaped as to prevent any ackward movement or said plate until the Legault set-up mechanism has completed its cycle as later to be described. Reference will now be had to the means whereby such continued forward motion of cooperating shaft 23 and rack plate 117 is transmitted to set-up plate 33 and the associated mechanism for setting up the pins 20 and returning the balls 21 to the front ends of the alleys.

Secured to the .rear edge of rack plate 117 by any suitable means such as a wire link 130 and a bail 131, there is provided a coiled extension spring 132, the other end of which is secured by 'a similar link 130 to an eye formed in the upper end of the long arm ot an l..shaped governing lever 133. Main operatin cord 44 is also attached to the same end o governing lever 133. Lever 133 is pivotally mounted so as to rotate in a foreand-aft vertical plane between the cheeks o1 a hollow supporting frame 134 secured to the underside of alley board 15 by-any suitable means such as screws 136. The short arm of governing lever 133 is bifurcated at its extremity and is there pivotally connected to a piston rod 137 which extends downwardly through the base of supporting frame 134 and within a cylinder 138 threaded into the bottom of frame 134 and housing a piston 139 to which the lower end of piston rod 137 is connected in any desired manner. The bottom' of cylinder 138 is closed by acap 140 fitted with a fluid inlet and outlet opening 141, the effective area of which opening is governed by a needle valve 142. Fluid opening 141 may be left open to the atmosphere, as shown in the present embodiment, or if desired, may be connected to a suitable reservoiiY containing some other fluid such as oil. The construction thus described constitutes a dash/pot means for controlling or governing the action of lever 133.

As previously mentioned, suitable means are provided for releasing ratchet tooth 119` from rack 118 when the set-up operation has been completed. 1n the form shown, a ratchet release arm 143 is pivotally mounted at on of its ends in a boss 144 which projects from the side of supporting trame 134 opposite to the pivot point o1 governin lever 133. Ratchet release arm 143 extends su stantially perpendicular to the lore-and-aft lineof the alley and swings about its pivot in a horizontal plane. The outer or 4movable end ont ratchet release arm 143 has secured thereto the rear end of tie rod 122 previously referred to, while intermediate the ends ot said arm there is provided a threaded adjustable stop 145 which is adapted to be engaged by a similar threaded contact 146 carried by the long arm ot governing lever 133. Engagement ot ment occurs, ratchet release arm 143 is moved about its pivot and forces tie rod 122 to the right, as viewed in Figs. 2 and 2a, and throws ratchet tooth 119 upward opt of engagement with rack 118.

lf desired. suitable means may be provided for resilient-ly maintaining tie rod 122 in either of its extreme positions. As shown, such means may comprise a lever arm 147 piv` otally secured at its upper end to a base plate 148 secured to the underside of alley board 15. and carrying at its lower end a pin or yoke 149 which engages a collar 15() secured to tie rod 122. A spring 151 is secured at its upper end to base plate 148 and at its lower end to a. point intermediate the ends of lever arm 147, the points of attachment of said spring being such that a line joining the same passes from one side to the other of the pivot point of lever 147 when the latter is thrown from one to the other of its extreme positions.

Although th-e present invention may be applied equally well to a full size bowling alley, the present embodiment discloses a game or amusement device providing a miniature variation of bowling and, as such, me-

chanical means are provided for projecting the balls toward the pins. In the form shown, a gun, referred to generally Iby reference character 19, is provided at the front end of each of alley boards 15 and embodies means for loading, aiming -and iring said, gun. the firing means being so adapted that the ball is propelled ata substantially constant speed regardless of the force which is applied to the firing handle or lever. As shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, gun 19 comprises a body member or frame 152 which is pivotally mounted, as by a vertical boss 153, in a recess formed in alley board 15. A bolt 154 passes through boss 153 and through a sub base 155 which is secured to the underside of alley board 15. and acts as a. pivot about which gun 19 is rotated for the purpose of loading and aiming.

rllhe forward end of gun frame 152 is threaded to receive a gun barrel 156 within which is housed a piston or plunger 157 having a piston rod 158 which extends through the threaded end of and within gun frame 152and which is connected at its forward end to a link 159 by means'of a pin 160 formed integral with said piston rod and an elon` gated slot 161 formed in said link. Link 159 is in turn pivotally secured at its forward end to the vertex of an L-shaped lever 162 which is pivoted at the upper end of its short arm on a suitable shafty 1:63 journaled in gun frame 152. Lever 162 is provided with a suitable grip or handle 164 which projects outside of gun frame 152 and is adapted to be grasped by the player of the game and to be used for both aiming gun 19 and for loading and firing the same.

The normal unloaded position of gun 19 is as shown in Fig. 2. When handle 164 is pulled upward, lever 162 is rotated about its pivot 163 and, through link 159, pulls piston rod 158 and piston 157 forward against the tension of a spring 165 which is interposed between the forward face of piston 157 and the rear or threaded end of gun frame 152. This forward movement of piston 157 and piston rod 158 continues until a toothed latch link 166 which is'pivotally mounted in gun frame 152 below piston rod 158 and resiliently urged upward by means of a spring 167, engages a corresponding notch 168 formed in the underside of piston rod 158. Gun 19 is then fully cocked and ready for loading and firing, with handle 164 of lever 162 in a substantially horizontal position.

To load gun 19, it is now necessary to transfer a ball 21 from the curved end of return runway 22 to the interior of barrel 156 behind piston 157. For this purpose, gun barrel 156 is provided with a loading opening 168 (see Figs. 11 and 12) large enough to admit a ball 21 and so located that it is opposite the curved end of return runway 22. The lower edge of loading opening 168 is slightly above the bottom of the borey of barrel 156 so that a ball once loaded will remain within said barrel. Balls 21 are normally maintained in the end of runway 22 by means of a ball delivery latch 169 rwhich is pivotally supported above the surface of said runway and is so shaped as to prevent the escape of a ball therefrom except during a loading operation as later described.v

Ball delivery latch 169 is provided with a pair of curved arms, the short-er and lighter arm Ybeing located toward the direction from which the balls are received, while the longer and heavier' arm is loca-ted on the opposite side of the pivot. The shorter arm is curved concavely downward, the arc having a radius equal to that of the bowling balls 21, while the longer arm is curved concavely upward. the arc having a radius equal to that of the outside circumference of barrel'156. With no balls in the runway, delivery latch 169 normally assumes a position with the longer and heavier arm hanging downwardly in the path of the balls. Then the balls are returned to the forward end of the runway. the first ball strikes the convex underside of the longer arm of latch 169,moves it upward and passes underneath the curved surface ot the shorter arm which conforms to the surface of the ball. a point of equilibrium being reached when the ball comes directly under the pivot point of latch 169 at which time the weight of the ball plus the weight of the smaller arm just balances the weight ot' the heavier arm. Balls which follow behind the first ball will then butt up against the shorter arm as a stop.

To load gun 19. it is now only necessary to swing the barrel toward the end of runway 22 by means of handle 164, the upper surface of barrel 157 forcing the longer arm of latch 169 upward and the consequent downward movement of the shorter'arm giving ball 21 a suiiicient impetus to force it into barrel156. The barrel is then moved away from the end of runway 22 so as to allow the heavier arm of latch 169 to drop down suiiciently to allow another ball to pass under the latch and to be held in loading position for the neXt shot.

To fire gun 19 so as to propel the balls toward the pins, handle 164 oflever 162 is moved downward from the position indicated in Fig. 4. This action forces link 159 for-- ward independently of piston rod 158, due to spring 165 and projecting ball 21 out of barrel 156 onto alley board 15.

The mode of operation of the present embodiment of the invention isas follows: Assuming that the part-s of the mechanism oc cupy the position illustrated in Figs. 1, 1, 2, 2n, 3 and 3, with the exception that the balls 21 are still in the ball pit 17 or ball pocket 75, a coin of the proper size is inserted in opening 89 and passes down through coin chute 90 entering recess 91 of coin slide 92. If the coin were smaller than the proper size it would pass on downwardly and enter coin return chute 94 and he delivered thereby to coin return cup 95.

Assuming, however, that the coin is of the proper size, it will be retained in recess 91 of coin slide92 by shoulder 93. Handle 24 of main operating shaft 23 is then grasped by the player ofthe game and pulled forward. Due to the cooperation between fixed collars 81 and 82, loose collar 102, and jack links 99 and 100, the forward movement of shaft 23 is transmitted to coin slide 92. As the coin passes under the foot of finger 107, the horizontal arm of unlocking lever 103 is raised and said lever is swung about its pivot 104 moving vertical arm 108 forward. This forward movement of vertical arm 108 is in turn communicated to trip ing member 109, whereupon contact 116 t rows ratchet tooth 119 downward into engagement with rack 118, and Contact 114 throws yoke 125 of bot tom operating lever 123 upward by means of finger 127 into the path of fixed collar, 82. The pin-setting and ball return mechanism is now unlocked and in operative position.

Continued, forward movement of shaft 23 is now communicated through' yoke 125 to rack plate 117. Coin slide 92 has meanwhile reached the limit of its forward travel and the coin is ejected through the opening provided into coinbox 98, continued forward nsaaaie movement of shaft- 23 independent of coin slide 92 being possible due to the jackknife action of jack links 99 and 100. As rack plate 117 is moved forward, a forcel is applied through spring 132 and links 130 to the upper end of the long arm of governing lever 133 which tends to move said lever forward about its pivot. Since spring 132 is a resilient member, however, it is evident that the motion of rack plate 117 is not transmitted directly to governing lever 133. Moreover, the movement of governing lever 133 is controlled by the dash pot action of piston 139 in cylinder 138, thus limiting the speed of movement of governing lever 133 to a predetermined amount. It is the cooperation between spring 132 and the dash pot action of piston 139 in cylinder 138 which makes possible a constant speed setting up operation irrespective of the speed with which operating shaft 23 is pulled forward by the player of the game.

This forward motion of governing lever 133 is in turn transmitted through main operating cord 44 and the secondary cords which are attached thereto, to set-up plates 33. The latter are raised at a uniform rate of speed and move pins 20 upward through guide sleeves 26 through the agency of pin supporting members 31. When set-up plates 33 reach the limit of their upward travel, base plate 30 of each pin supporting member 31 is flush with the surface of alley t board 15, the pins are in set-up position, and the outer end of each small latchl 60 is engaged with annular groove 72 formed within boss 28 so as to hold pin supporting member 31 within tube 26 as long as pin 20 remains upright. l

At the same time that set-up plates 33 were raising the pins to their set-up positions on alley board 15, the ballsfwhich had rolled from ball pit 17 into ball pocket 75 were raised by the latter until level with return runway 22, at which time the balls roll from ball pocket 75 through openings 80 into return runway 22 and were delivered thereby to the front endy of the alley and held in loading position by ball delivery latches 169.

lln the meantime. the continued forward movement of shaft 23 and rack plate 117 has advanced the latter to the point where finger 127 strikes contact 113 of tripping member 109. This impact overcomes the tension of spring 129 and rotates operating lever 123 about its pivot, dropping yoke 125 out of the path ot hired shoulder 82 and thereby disconnecting rack plate 117 from shaft 23. Ratchettooth 119 is still in contact with rack 118, however,- and, due to the shape ofthe cooperating teeth, holds rack plate 117 in its iturthermost forward position in spite of the tension of sprin 132 which is being exerted on the after en of said rack plate. en governing lever 133 approaches the limit of teasers forward movement, Contact 143 engages stop 145 and forces ratchet release arm 1&3 forward about its pivot, thus moving tie rodI 122 forward and releasing ratchet tooth 119 l from rack 118. llack plate 117 is then returned to its original position under the action of spring 132, its backward travel being. limited by a stop 171 lined in frame 84 and engaging a suitable ygroove formed in the side of said rack plate. Shaft 23 may now be pushed in and returned to its original position, thereby carrying coin slide 92 backward under coin chute 90 and allowing linger 107 to drop down in front of said coin slide in its original position, the latter action also returning tripping member 109 to the position originally occupied.

Upon the release of ratchet tooth 119 from rack 118 and the return of rack plate 117 to its original position, the force exerted through spring 132 upon the upper end of the long arm of governing lever 133 is relieved to the point where the weight of setup plates 33 and their associated ball brackets will cause said plates to sink to their original positions and draw governing lever 133 back to its original position.

en, uw

lith the pins set up on alley board 15 and the balls returned to the front ends of the alleys, guns 19 may now be loaded and the game commenced. Each gun is first cocked by grasping handle 16aL and moving it upward and forward, rotating lever 162 about its pivot, and drawing piston 157 backward so as to uncover loading opening 163 which is normally obstructed thereby. ll] hen handie 164 has been raised to a substantially horiaontal position, as shown in el and toothed latch link 166 has engaged notch 168 of piston rod 158, gun 19 is swung upon its pivot 154 toward the curved end of runway 22 and, striking the longer arm of ball delivery latch 169, forces a ball into the barrel 156 of t e gun ijust behind piston 157. rl`he is then swung away from the end of return runway 22 so as to allow a second ball to advance to loadineq position and the gun is aimed at the pins 2O for the first shot. lll/'hen the player has aimed the gun to his satisfaction, he pushes handle 16eL downward so as to project the ball onto alley board 15 toward the pins.

to the left, as viewed in Fie'. 9, withdrawing Regardless of how hard handle 163-1- is pushed. the ball will not be fired until. projection 170 engages the outer end of latch small latch 60 from its engagement with annular groove 72. Pin supporting member 31 then falls downward through tube 26 due to its own weight and pulls pin 2O after it down n into tube 2G, thus clearing the alley of dead l@ wood. Pin supporting member 3l drops downward until collar 32 rests on set-up plate 33, centering pin 3l positioning said member so that it is coaxial with the bore of guide tube 26 and resetting the latch means for a subl5 sequent set-up.

Gun 19 may be now reloaded and the second shot lired in a manner similar to that just described. lWhen all of the balls have been lired, or all of the pins knocked down, the c game may be returned to its set-up position by the insertion of another coin and a repetition of the movements previously set forth.

'l1 here is thus provided by the present invention a novel mechanically operated bowlg@ ing alley which is especially well adapted for installation as a coin controlled amusement device in places where lack of space or manual labor prevent the use of a regular size, manually operated bowling alley. lmproved mechanical means have been provided for setting up the pins and returning the balls to the front end of the alley, which means may be operated by the bowler from his regular position. Novel means have also been provided g for automatically clearing the alley of any pins which may be knocked down either by a ball or by another falling pin, said pins being withdrawn below the surface ofthe alley into positions where they do not interfere with a subsequent ball nor leave openings in the alley surface of such character as to influence the direction thereof. The bowling alley herein disclosed has also been provided with a novel `coin control device which prevents operation of the game unless a coin of the proper size is inserted thereimand which may be tampered with by careless or irresponsible persons without in any way damaging the mechanism. Still other features of the NQ invention include a mechanical gun or ball projecting device to replace the usual hand bowling, and means for regulating the speed of setting up of the pins regardless of the force which is applied to the operating shaft u@ by the player of the game.

llt will be obvious that the invention is not limited to the form shown in the drawings but is capable of a variety of mechanical embodiments. lor example, where the invention is applied to a full size bowling alley, the gun or ball projecting device may obviously be dispensed with in favor of the usual hand bowling. Furthermore, in such an installation, any suitable lever arrangement could be 125 substituted for the specific showing of operating shaft 23 so that the setting-up operation could be performed from a point above the level of the alley. Likewise, the invention is not necessarily restricted to the use of one coin controlled setting-up means for a plurality of alleys, but each alley may be individually equipped with such a device. lf desired, the coin control mechanism may be rendered inoperative or dispensed with entirely by making simple mechanical changes which lie fully within the scope of the present invention. Various other changes, which will not appear to those skilled in the art, may be made in the form, details of construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention, and reference is therefore to be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A bowling alley comprising an alley board, a plurality of pins, a plurality of vertical pin housing tubes formed in said alley board, means for raising and maintaining said pins upright above the tops of said tubes, a ball adapted to be projected along said alley board toward said pins, and means for automatically withdrawing said pins into said tubes and below the level of said alley board when knocked over.

2. ln a bowling alley having an alley board and a plurality of pins, means for mechanically setting up the pins on said alley board comprising a plurality of cylindrical guiding tubes extending vertically downward from the surface of said alley board, a plurality of pin supporting members slidably mounted in said guiding tubes,said pinsbeiig mounted on top of said supporting members, latch means carried by each of said pin supporting members and adapted to project outwardly thereof to engage a recess in its associated guiding tube for maintaining said member in set-up position, a set-up plate, a plurality of centering pins carried by said plate and adapted to engage the bottoms of said pin supporting members and of said latch means whereby the latter are moved to an outwardly projecting position, and means for raising said set-up plate.

3. In a bowling alley, an alley board, a plurality of pins, a plurality of guiding tubes extending downwardly from the surface of said alley board, a plurality of pin supporting members slidably mounted in said guiding tubes and each having an upper base on which one of said pins is mounted, means for raising said members within said tubes, means for maintaining said members at the upper.

limit of their travel within said tubes with said pins projecting above said alley board, and means for automatically withdrawing any one of'said pins within its guiding tube upon it being knocked over. y

4. ln a bowling alley, an alley board, a plurality of pins, a plurality of guiding tubes extending downwardly from the surface of said alley board, a plurality of pin supporting members slidably mounted in said guiding tubes and each having an upper base on reeaaia which one of' said pins is'mounted, means for raising said members within said tubes, means including a latch for maintaining said members at the upper limit of their travel within said tubes with said pins projecting` above said alley board, and means for automatically withdrawing any one of said pins within its guiding tube upon it being knocked over, said last named means including a weight secured to the bottom of the pin and normally holding said latch in an engaged position, the falling of the pin raising said weight and disengaging said latch.

5. ln a bowling alley, an alley board, a plurality of pins, means for setting up said pins on said board and means for automatically removing any one of said pins from said board when knocked down, said last named means comprising a vertically reciprocable pin supporting member including a latch normally maintaining said pin supporting member in raised position, a weight secured to the bottom of said pin and normally maintaining said latch in a position engaging means rigid with the alley bed, and resilient means for operating said latch and adapted to release said latch when said weight is lifted as the pin is knocked over.

6. ln a bowling alley, an alley board, a

plurality of pins, means for setting up said l pins on said alley board, and means for auto matically withdrawing any one of said pins below the surface of said alley board when knocked over, said last named means including a pin supporting member having an upper ase upon which said pin normally is seated, a vertical guiding tube extending downwardly from the surface'of said alley board and within which said pin supporting member is slidably mounted, latch means for normally maintaining said member at the upper end of said tube with the pin projecting above said alley board, and means operable when said pin is knocked over for releasing said latch.

7. In a bowling alley having an alley board and a plurality of pins, the combination with a set-up plate the elevation of which mechanically sets up said pins on said alley board` of means for raising said set-up plate including a shaft adapted to be operated by the bowler, means connecting said shaft an'd said plate, and power controlling means interposed in said connecting means for converting the manually actuated movement of the shaft regardless of its speed into constant speed elevation of the plate.

8. ln a bowling alley having an alley board and a plurality of pins, the combination with a set-up `plate the elevation of which mechanically sets up said pins on said alley board, of means for actuating said set-up plate including a shaft adapted to be operated by the bowler and means connecting saidshaft and said plate, said last named means including means for converting the manually actuated movement of the shaft into uniformly governed elevation o the plate comprising a governing lever pivoted intermediate its ends, a resilient connection from one of the ends of said lever to said shaft, means connecting the same end of said lever to said plate, a dashpot, and means connecting the other end of said lever to said dashpot.

9. ln a bowling alley having an alley board and a plurality of pins, means or mechani-= cally setting up said pins on said board comprising a plurality of vertical guidin tubes extending downwardly from. the surace ot said board, a set-up plate adapted to raise said pins through said tubes to a set-up position on said board, an operating shaft adapted to be manually actuated by the bowler, a rack plate, means including a resilient cord operatively connecting said rack plate and said set-up plate, means including a yoke secured to said rack plate and adapted to enga e said shaft for operatively connecting sai plate and shaft for movement together in one direction, a ratchet engaging said rack plate to prevent movement of said plate in the f opposite direction, means for disengaging said yoke from said shaft, and means for disengaging said ratchet from said rack.

10. In a bowling alley, an alley board, a plurality of pins, means for setting up said pins on said alley board, and means for automatically withdrawing any one of said pins to a vertical position below the surface of said board when knocked over.

11. ln a bowling alley having an alley board and a plurality of pins, means for mechanically setting up said pins on said alley board comprising a plurality of c lindrical guiding tubes extending vertically ownward from the surface of said alley board, a plurality of pin supporting members slidably mounted in said guiding tubes, said pins being mounted on top of said supporting members, a set-up plate, a plurality of centering pins carried by said plate and adapted to engage the bottoms of said pin supporting members, means for raising said set-up plate, and means for maintaining said pin supporting members at the upper limit of l their travel within said guiding tubes with said pins projecting above said alley board.

12. In a bowling alley having an alley board and a plurality of pins, a plurality of guide tubes extending vertically downward from the surface of said alley board, means for raising the pins upwardly through said tubes to a set-up position on said alley board, and means for automatically withdrawing any one of said pins within its guide tube when knocked down.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

FRANK J. MILLER. 

